Ballast pick-up



Sept. 1, 1964 M. J. SPENO ETAL 3,146,539

BALLAST PICK-UP Filed July 11, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/G. 2 12A 10 14A I x INVENTORS MflET/N J SPENO x4A/THONY T Izzy/v0 BY 21%;, a4, Aiqdzz ZWQW ATTORNEYS p 1, 1964 M. J. SPENO ETAL 3,146,539

BALLAST PICK-UP Filed July 11, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS M4? T/NJ. 5PN0 ANT/m/W I Bea/v0 wam, 4 4M was,

ATTORNEYS Unitcd States Patent 3,146,539 BALLAST PICKUP Martin J. Speno, Syracuse, and Anthony T. Bruno, East Syracuse, N.Y., assignors to Frank Speno Railroad Ballast (Ileaning Co. Incorporated, Ithaca, N.Y., a corporation of New Yors Filed duly 111, 1962, Ser. No. 209,660 5 Claims. (Cl. 57l04) This invention relates to improvements in a ballast pick-up mechanism particularly adapted for use as the pickup unit of a railroad ballast cleaning unit.

In ballast cleaning units or machines, the pick-up mechanism together with the rest of the machine is commonly transported on a flat car or the like for movement along the track, with the pick-up depending over the side or shoulder of the road bed adjacent the ends of the ties to pick up the ballast which has been previously removed from between the ties and to deliver it to conventional cleaning and processing means, by which it is processed and then redeposited on the road bed.

The pick up mechanism commonly employs a plow or scoop at its leading end as the means for digging beneath the ballast material and causing the material to be delivered onto an infeed conveyor supported in trailing relation to the plow. Since the material normally is caused to ride over the top of the plow and onto the conveyor by its own back pressure, it has a natural tendency to pile up ahead of the plow. Moreover, if the volume of such material is great, it will often tend to boil over the sides and outwardly around the frame of the pick up unit to form generally continuous ridges which are left after the passage of the pick up unit and which are therefore required to be leveled off by a later operation. In addition, when such a prior type of pick up unit and the ballast cleaning mechanism of which it constitutes part is brought to a cutoff or stopping point, there is normally left a considerable pile up of material which has been pushed ahead of the pick up unit. It then becomes necessary to provide hand labor for shoveling this piled up material onto the main infeed conveyor to be carried away.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved pick up unit including means rendering it capable of operation in such manner as to eliminate the foregoing problems, as well as to increase its efficiency and versatility.

To this end the improved pickup of the invention utilizes a more or less conventional plow and main pick up conveyor for receiving the material which rides over the plow. In addition, however, there is provided a feeder unit consisting essentially of a second or auxiliary conveyor positioned in spaced relation above the receiving end of the main conveyor and projecting forwardly over the plow, the auxiliary or feeder conveyor being provided with digging and raking flights depending downwardly therefrom for operative engagement with the material passing over the plow, to positively urge such material rearwardly over the plow and onto the receiving end of the main conveyor.

It is an important feature of the invention that the feeder conveyor is adjustable bodily toward and away from the plow and the main conveyor, whereby it may be positioned for most efiicient operation, depending upon the depth and volume of the material above the plow and also, when desired, may be fed progressively toward the plow when the latter is brought to a stop to eliminate the pile up of material in front of and over the plow by feeding it onto the main conveyor.

Preferably also the feeder conveyor is supported adjacent its rear end for angular movement about a horizontal axis transverse to the conveyor movements whereby its angle of feed may be adjusted as desired to meet varying conditions such as caused by varying depth or rate of movement of the material over the plow.

Moreover, it is an important feature that the bodily vertical adjustment of the feeder conveyor and its angularly adjustment are relatively independent of each other, whereby either type of adjustment may be readily effected without disturbing a prior adjustment of the other type.

A further feature of the invention consists in the independent drive of the feeder conveyor by its own variable speed driving motor, by means of which its speed may be adjusted to maintain an even and steady flow of material on the main conveyor belt.

The foregoing as well as other incidental objects and advantages will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal vertical cross section of a generally diagrammatic a1 nature through an improved pick up mechanism in accordance with the invention, showing but fragmentarily the forward section of the main infeed conveyor and its associated supporting frame,

FIGURE 2 is a plan section on the line 22 of FIG- URE l, and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the structure of FIG- URE 1 as seen from the front and showing the manner in which it is operatively supported from a railroad car for transport with its plow operatively positioned to pick up ballast from the shoulder of the road bed and deliver it onto the main infeed conveyor.

Inasmuch as the means for operatively supporting the pick up mechanism on a railroad car or the like for transport along a track and in operative engagement with the road bed is well-known, and is clearly disclosed for instance in the Speno United States Patent 1,959,451 of March 20, 1934, it has been necessary to illustrate only such portion of the pick up unit as is necessary to show the manner in which the improvements of the present invention are combined therewith.

Thus referring more in detail to the drawings, the pick up unit is shown as comprising a supporting frame F adapted to be carried by a railroad flat car for transport along a road bed in operative relation thereto. In FIG- URE 3 one side portion of a suitable transport car C is illustrated fragmentarily and there are also illustrated diagrammatically suitable supports S by which the main frame F is supported from this car so that the device will be operatively positioned. The main supporting frame comprises suitable rigidly interconnected side plates I'll-10 which are in relatively spaced vertical planes aligned with the intended direction of movement of the device. In addition to functioning as supporting means for other structure, these side plates 10 serve the function of confining between them the ballast material which is received on the pick up unit.

Rigidly supported between these side plates or frames 19 adjacent their forward ends is a horizontally disposed plow 12 extending transversely to its intended path of travel, the plow being directed forwardly on a somewhat downward incline for digging engagement with the ballast, to ride beneath its normal surface level and thereby to cause the overlying layer of ballast to move over it and onto the operative run 14A of the main infeed conveyor 14. The main conveyor 14 is disposed immediately rearwardly of the plow and serves to deliver the infed ballast rearwardly and upwardly to suitable sifting and processing means constituting no part of the instant invention, and therefore not shown.

The main conveyor 14 is illustrated as being of the usual endless type comprising a flexible apron supported on rollers such as 16, which in turn are rotatably supported between the respective side frames it) with their supportenaeese ing shaft ends journaled in the respective frames. In FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the plow 12, which is generally of triangular shape in cross section, is provided with a concave rear face 12A for snug reception of the forward belt supporting roller 16 and the surrounding portion of the main infeed belt 14.

The feeder unit of the invention is exemplified by the auxiliary feeder conveyor 20 which will be seen to be supported for bodily vertical adjustment in a vertically movable carriage 22 guided for such movement in the depending guide legs or tracks 24A of an inverted U-shaped yoke 24 supported between and interconnecting the respective side frames. The vertical side legs or tracks 24A of this yoke, as shown in FIGURE 2 are secured to the respective side plates 10 and are of generally channeled cross section, having overlying flanges 25 beneath which are slidably received and guided the opposed side legs 22A of the carriage, these side legs being interconnected by a cross head 228 as shown, to constitute a rigid unitary carriage structure.

To provide for the desired vertical adjustment of this carriage 22, a suitable double acting hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 26 is interconnected between the respective horizontal cross heads 22B and 2413, with the piston rod of said unit fixedly connected to the carriage 22 and the cylinder portion of the unit fixedly connected to the cross head 24B of the supporting yoke or guide means. Extending transversely between and supported by the opposed depending legs 22A of the carriage is the rear-most shaft 28 of the infeed conveyor 20 about which the conveyor frame including its opposed side plates or rails 30 and the conveyor 20 in its entirety is angularly adjustable. To provide for the desired angular adjustment there is provided a double acting hydraulic cylinder and piston unit 32, of which the cylinder portion is shown as pivotally connected at 34 to the cross head of the carriage while the piston through its piston rod is pivotally connected at 36 to the feeder conveyor frame through the transverse bridging portion of a rigid yoke 38, the legs of which are rigidly connected to the respective side rails 30 of the feeder conveyor frame. By virtue of the fact that both of the points of connection of unit 32 to the carriage and to the conveyor frame are eccentric to and spaced substantially from the axis 28 of angular adjustment of the feeder conveyor 20, it will be seen that extension and retraction of the cylinder and piston unit 32 will function to adjust the angular position of the feeder conveyor 20 about its shaft 28 independently of the vertical position of adjustment of the carriage 22 itself.

Similarly, such vertical adjustment of the carriage position and thereby of the bodily position of the feeder conveyor 29 may be accomplished through the cylinder and piston unit 26 entirely independently of the angular adjustment of the feeder conveyor.

It will be seen that the feeder conveyor 20 thus is disposed above and projects forwardly above the plow 12, whereby through appropriate adjustment of its height and its angular position it may be adapted for efiicient engagement with material tending to pile up over the plow 12 to urge such material across the top of the plow and onto the beginning of the operative run 14A of the main conveyor. In the preferred embodiment, in fact, the feeder conveyor 20 has sufiicient length that its rear portion is substantially longitudinally coextensive with the forward end of the operative run 14A of the main conveyor, whereby it may cooperate with said main conveyor in a joint and positive feeding action of the material, thus to better maintain a continuous smooth infeed and to better avoid the possible tendency of material to pile The infeed conveyor 14 itself is provided with relatively spaced digging and raking flights 40 extending transversely across the said conveyor and preferably carried by relatively laterally spaced chains 42 of conventional structure operatively disposed and driven around sprockets 44 carried on the longitudinally spaced shafts 28 and 48 which are journaled between the respective frame side rails 30 as shown.

Each of the said digging and raking flights 40 of the feeder conveyor 20 may appropriately comprise one of the flanges of a suitable angle member extending transversely between and secured to the relatively spaced conveyor chains 42. Preferably each such flight 40 is toothed or serrated to improve its digging actions and the serrations of the immediately adjoining teeth 54B are relatively staggered, better to eliminate the forming of voids or channels in the material such as might impede their digging or cutting action.

The feeder conveyor 20 preferably is driven from a variable speed electric driving motor 52 which is rigidly supported interiorly of the conveyor frame as shown in FIGURE 2 on one of its side rails 30. As will be seen,

' the shaft 5'4 of this driving motor projects outwardly and is rotatable through the frame rail member 30 and on its outer end has secured a sprocket 56 which is operatively connected by suitable flexible driving element 58 or chain to a sprocket 60 keyed on the feeder conveyor shaft 28.

By adjusting the speed of the motor 52 to cause the movement of feeder conveyor 20 to substantially coincide with the speed of travel of the main conveyor 14, it is possible to secure a quite efficient conveying action of material between the similarly moving opposed portions of the conveyors.

In the operation of the invention it will be apparent that the action of the feeder conveyor 20 will be such as to positively move the incoming material over the top of the plow and assist in its initial movement on and with .the main conveyor in such a manner as to avoid any piling up of material or any undue resistance to the forward motion of the plow. The action of the cutting and digging flights 40 of the feeder conveyor will be such as to disintegrate any large masses or clumps of material as may be initially loosened by the action of the plow 12 so that these may be fed more efliciently onto the main conveyor 14 without producing pile up. Obviously the operative height of the feeder conveyor 23 above the main conveyor 14 and plow 12 may be adjusted as desired in order to accommodate it to the volume and level of material passing over the plow and onto the main conveyor. Similarly the particular angle of inclination of the feeder conveyor 20 may be adjusted as required to have it best conform to the configuration of the incoming material for proper coaction therewith.

When the plow 12 is brought to rest at the conclusion of operations any material piled up in advance of it by the pressure of its forward movement may be readily removed and fed onto the main conveyor 14 simply by downward feeding movement of the feeder conveyor 20 through its carriage 22 and adjusting unit 26 and coincidental adjustment of its angle of attack, when it is required, to produce a complete or substantially complete removal of the pile by passing it over the plow and onto the main conveyor.

In this application we have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of our invention, simply by way of exemplification thereof. However, We recognize that our invention is capable of other and different ernbodiments and accordingly, the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing are intended only by way of exemplification and not by way of limitation of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

, 1. A ballast pick-up unit comprising a supporting frame adapted for transport along a road bed, and comprising side frame members relatively transversely spaced with respect to the direction of transport, a horizontally disposed plow extending transversely between and supported by the respective side frame members, said plow having forwardly directed edge means disposed for operative digging engagement with the road bed beneath the surface thereof, and a ballast conveyor having a rearwardly and upwardly moving operative run commencing behind and closely adjacent the plow to pick up the material loosened by the plow; in combination with a carriage guided on said supporting frame for vertical adjustment in a plane rearwardly of the plow, power means interconnected between the supporting frame and said carriage for selectively adjusting the vertical position of the carriage, a feeder conveyor having a rigid frame connected to said carriage for angular movement about a generally horizontal transverse axis above and rearwardly of the plow, said rigid frame normally projecting forwardly from said axis to a location above said plow, and extensible and retractable power means pivotally connected respectively to said rigid frame and said carriage at locations eccentric to said axis for angularly adjusting and maintaining the angular position of said rigid frame about said axis.

2. A ballast pick-up unit as defined in claim 1, in which said feeder conveyor comprises a plurality of transverse conveyor flights projecting downwardly toward said infeed conveyor and said plow.

3. A ballast pick-up unit as defined in claim 2, in which relatively adjacent said flights are provided with relatively transversely staggered teeth.

4. A ballast pick-up unit comprising a supporting frame adapted for transport along a road bed, and comprising side frame members relatively transversely spaced with respect to the direction of transport, a horizontally disposed plow extending transversely between and supported by the respective side frame members, said plow having forwardly directed edge means adapted for operative engagement with the road bed beneath the surface thereof, and a ballast conveyor having a rearwardly and upwardly moving operative run disposed to receive and convey material of the road bed passing above the plow; in combination with a carriage guided on said supporting frame for vertical adjustment in a plane rearwardly of the plow, means for providing such vertical adjustment, a

feeder conveyor having a rigid frame connected to said carriage for angular movement about a generally horizontal transverse axis above and rearwardly of the plow, said rigid frame normally projecting forwardly from said axis to a location above said plow, and power actuated linearly extensible and retractable means interconnecting said feeder conveyor and said carriage at locations eccentric respectively to the said transverse axis for providing selective angular adjustment of said rigid frame.

5. The combination with a ballast pick-up unit, including a rigid supporting frame adapted for transport along a road bed, a plow fixedly carried by said frame below the surface of said road bed, and an infeed conveyor rearwardly of the plow and disposed to receive material fed to it over the top of the plow; of a feeder conveyor having an operative run above said infeed conveyor and said plow, in spaced opposed relation to the operative run of said infeed conveyor, means driving the operative runs of both conveyors in a rearward direction from said plough, a carriage supporting said infeed conveyor for angular movement about a horizontal axis, said carriage being supported by said frame for vertical adjustment, means interconnected between the frame and carriage for vertically adjusting said carriage, and a rigid extensible and retractable power actuated device extending between and pivotally connected to said feeder conveyor and the said carriage at locations respectively eccentric to the said axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,226,573 Nelson May 15, 1917 1,332,662 Gross Mar. 2, 1920 1,953,979 Speno Apr. 10, 1934 3,024,546 Cramer Mar. 13, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,090,161 Germany Oct. 6, 1960 

5. THE COMBINATION WITH A BALLAST PICK-UP UNIT, INCLUDING A RIGID SUPPORTING FRAME ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORT ALONG A ROAD BED, A PLOW FIXEDLY CARRIED BY SAID FRAME BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID ROAD BED, AND AN INFEED CONVEYOR REARWARDLY OF THE PLOW AND DISPOSED TO RECEIVE MATERIAL FED TO IT OVER THE TOP OF THE PLOW; OF A FEEDER CONVEYOR HAVING AN OPERATIVE RUN ABOVE SAID INFEED CONVEYOR AND SAID PLOW, IN SPACED OPPOSED RELATION TO THE OPERATIVE RUN OF SAID INFEED CONVEYOR, MEANS DRIVING THE OPERATIVE RUNS OF BOTH CONVEYORS IN A REARWARD DIRECTION FROM SAID PLOUGH, A CARRIAGE SUPPORTING SAID INFEED CONVEYOR FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID CARRIAGE BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME FOR VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT, MEANS INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN THE FRAME AND CARRIAGE FOR VERTICALLY ADJUSTING SAID CARRIAGE, AND A RIGID EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE POWER ACTUATED DEVICE EXTENDING BETWEEN AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FEEDER CONVEYOR AND THE SAID CARRIAGE AT LOCATIONS RESPECTIVELY ECCENTRIC TO THE SAID AXIS. 